Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, has returned to Abuja after a brief medical trip to the United Kingdom, ending weeks of speculation about his health.
In a short video clip shared on Sunday by the Nigerian Television Authority via its official X handle, the minister was seen arriving at Fraser Suites in Abuja, looking cheerful and in good health. The post read: “The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, sighted on Sunday looking hale and hearty.”
Upon his arrival, Mr. Edun reportedly held a closed-door meeting with a delegation from Qatar, in company with the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole. Though details of the discussion were not made public, competent sources said the engagement centred on investment opportunities and strengthening bilateral economic ties between Nigeria and the Gulf state.
Mr. Edun, 69, had travelled to the UK on October 13 to seek medical attention for an undisclosed ailment. He was later sighted at a cultural exhibition in London, which eased some of the concerns surrounding his health.
Before his departure, Presidency sources had maintained that the minister was recuperating at his Abuja residence under the care of local doctors. They dismissed widespread rumours that he had suffered a stroke or was incapacitated.
A senior government official, who spoke to The Nation in confidence, said the minister’s health challenge was not as grave as earlier speculated. “Yes, the minister was a bit indisposed and was advised to take some rest. The medical trip was precautionary. He’s back now, strong and focused,” the source disclosed.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, also confirmed that the minister had taken ill but stressed that there was no plan to replace him. “He is fine now. Mr. President has full confidence in him. He remains a key figure in the administration’s economic team,” Onanuga stated.
In Mr. Edun’s absence, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, led Nigeria’s delegation to the 2025 World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Washington D.C.
Appointed on August 28, 2023, Mr. Edun has been central to the Tinubu administration’s economic reform agenda, spearheading critical policy shifts such as the removal of fuel subsidies, foreign exchange unification, and fiscal consolidation aimed at stabilising the naira and curbing inflation.
A former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance under then-Governor Bola Tinubu between 1999 and 2004, Edun is an accomplished economist and investment banker. He co-founded Denham Management Limited and has earned a reputation for prudence, discipline, and reform-minded leadership in fiscal policy management.
As of press time, officials at the Ministry of Finance had yet to issue an official statement on his return. However, sources within the ministry confirmed that the minister had resumed duty and was already attending to official engagements in Abuja.
“The Honourable Minister is back and in high spirits. He has resumed work fully,” a senior aide said.
